Rice University President David Leebron and his wife Y. Ping Sun celebrate in the end zone with other fans during the second half of the Bell Helicopter Armed Services Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Ft. Worth.

Rice president David Leebron on Wednesday announced the formation of a 13-member search committee to help choose the school's next athletic director.

Kevin Kirby, vice president for administration, will chair the committee. The committee includes members of the university's board of trustees, faculty, current student-athletes, alumni and Houston business leaders.

The Los Angeles-based search firm Korn/Ferry International will assist in the national search to replace Rick Greenspan, who stepped down June 30.

The goal is to have an athletic director in place by early September, Kirby said.

Rick Mello will continue to serve as interim athletic director but is not a candidate, Kirby said.

The search committee will hold its first meeting Monday to begin discussing the parameters of the search.

Input will also be solicited from the Rice community.

"We're wide open," Kirby said. "We're trying to cast a wide net to get input from people about what the community is looking for."

Once the vetting process is completed, the search committee is expected to review "a few dozen candidates," Kirby said, before trimming the list down and making a recommendation of finalists to Leebron.